Sye (2004 film)

Sye (/ˈsaɪ/; transl. 'Challenge') is a 2004 Indian Telugu-language sports action film directed by S. S. Rajamouli, who co-wrote the film with V. Vijayendra Prasad. The film is produced by A. Bharati under Sri Bharathi Enterprises. The film features Nithin, Genelia, Shashank and Pradeep Rawat. The story is set against the backdrop of rugby and follows two rival student groups in a college, one representing the Science stream and the other the Arts stream. Initially clashing for dominance through the sport, the two factions are ultimately forced to unite when a local gangster takes control of their university.

This was Rajamouli's third film post the successes of Student No: 1 and Simhadri. Music composed by M. M. Keeravani with cinematography by K. K. Senthil Kumar and editing by Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao. The film earned ₹110 million (equivalent to ₹390 million or US$4.6 million in 2023) in distributor share’s against a production budget of ₹102 million (equivalent to ₹360 million or US$4.3 million in 2023) and was commercially successful. The film won four Nandi Awards.

The film gained recognition beyond India when Willie Hateraka, a coach of the Indian Army's rugby team and a member of the Māori community in New Zealand, recommended the film to the International Rugby Board. The Board later shortlisted Sye as one of only three films globally deemed suitable as promotional material for the sport of rugby.